Nightmare
by Naurring
Summary: Cid surprises Vincent in an embarassing situation which leads embarassing results for him. Slash, Torture mentioned, alcohol, inventional use of aliments


Title: Nightmare  
Disclaimer: Repeat with me: Nothing belongs to me, it belongs all to Square Enix. Hey great, you already knew it!  
Words: 8149  
Rating: R  
Pairing: Cid/Vincent  
Summary: Cid surprises Vincent in an embarassing situation which leads embarassing results for him  
Warning: Torture mentioned, alcohol, inventional use of aliments  
AN: This is actually the very first Final Fantasy fic I ever wrote, but somehow I never got around to post it. Pretty much the usual Cid/Vince plot

* * *

His heart was beating so heard that Vincent thought it would burst. His body was drenched with sweat and his wide eyes frantically moved through the part of the room he was able to see from his position on the examination table. Never in his life had he felt panic like this; his whole body was tight and tense with fear. Or it would have been if not for the drugs Hojo had given him to make sure he could work on him unhindered.

He thought he was going to die from fear when he saw Hojo approach, one of his horrible tools in hand and with that excited grin on his face. There was nothing like some experimenting on a helpless human being to make Hojo happy. He could feel the knife sliding into his stomach; Hojo hadn't thought it necessary to make certain he wasn't feeling any pain. Vincent wanted to scream, to scream out his pain and fear, but he couldn't make a sound. He didn't know what Hojo had done to his throat, but it had effectively shut him up. Only the hot tears streaming down his face were left to make his feelings known.

Vincent sat up with a start, his head hitting the low ceiling above him painfully. His whole body screamed "Flee!" and before he was able to form a coherent thought he was out of bed and pressing himself into the far corner of his small room. He could feel his body shake with fear and pain and his hands were slick with sweat as he pressed them against the cold wall.

It took his mind some moments to register he was in his room on the Highwind, far out of reach and safe from any things Hojo might do to him. Unfortunately his body didn't quite believe him. His legs were trembling under him and Vincent forced his shaky legs to take him to his bed before they gave away under him. He collapsed more onto the mattress than he sat down. He was still shaking violently and a heavy sob escaped his throat, tears running freely down his face.

How he hated those dreams. He wished for nothing more than to forget the things that had been done to him, but they always returned to him. Vincent tried to calm down, to tell himself it was over and there was nothing to fear, but his body wasn't willing to believe him. Bending forward to avoid soiling the bed he threw up onto the floor, his sweat drenched hair clinging to his face.

When his stomach was finally empty he kept sitting there, bend forward, trying to will his body to stop shaking. A soft knock on the door made him nearly jump to the ceiling and a soft frightened whimper escaped his lips. The door slowly opened, light streaming into his room and Cid's head appeared in the doorway.

Cid opened his mouth to speak, but once his gaze fell upon the distraught figure on the bed all words fled his mind. For a moment he stood frozen in the doorway, staring at the poor imagine Vincent presented, sitting on his bed, illuminated by what little light fell through the opened door.

Vincent wanted to say something, to tell Cid to leave him alone, that there wasn't anything wrong, but his moth refused to obey.

Cid hesitated for a moment, glancing into the hallway behind him; then he quietly slipped into the dark room, closing the door. He had heard a scream coming from Vincent's room and after a moment's thought had come to check on the silent man, even though he knew he'd probably get himself killed for even thinking to enter his room. He had thought of something smart to say before he got attacked, but know all words had fled him.

Reaching for the switch he turned on the light and slowly walked over to Vincent, sitting down onto the bed next to him. He noticed that the sheets were drenched with sweat, as was the whole man. He also noticed the scars that were visible on his upper body and his eyes widened with sympathetic pain at the sheer number of them.

"Hey, Vincent," he said softly, willing the man to look at him. Vincent had not moved since he had entered the room, he just sat there, bent forward, hugging himself, frightened eyes staring at the far wall. Cid's eyes fell upon the mess Vincent had made on the floor and he sighed quietly, getting up once more. "I think we'll better get this cleaned up first."

There was no reaction from Vincent as Cid briefly left and knelt down to clean the floor when he returned. Having finished this task and having placed a bowl on the floor next to the shaking man, in case he had to throw up once more, Cid sat back down on the bed. "You alright?"

The red eyes slowly turned towards him, wide and frightened. Only now did Cid really register the tears that were running down the slender face, creating a small pool where they hit the floor. He wasn't sure how to handle this situation, after all this was Vincent, of all people. "Nightmare?" he finally asked softly.

Vincent nodded slowly, his body still shaking.

"Ah," Cid answered, feeling a little helpless. His fingers played with his shirt, trying to think of something to do. The only things that came to his mind were asking him to share his dreams or to try to comfort him, perhaps embracing him, but this was Vincent. He was pretty sure he wouldn't allow either.

Together they sat on the bed, silently, whilst Vincent was slowly calming down and catching his breath. The shaking gradually lessened, even if he still felt shaky and weak. The dream had drained him of all of his energy.

Cid finally had enough. It was pointless to just sit there for hours and then get up and leave. Completely sure he would find himself in the lifestream the next moment, but just wanting to finally do something, he wrapped one arm around the smaller man's shoulders and drew him close. To his utter surprise Vincent did not react in any way he had thought possible at all, he was even pressing close to him, even if only slightly and probably involuntarily. Cid wrapped his other arm around him as well, allowing Vincent to press close to him. He was still shaking and there were still some tears running from his eyes, but he seemed to feel better know.

"You wanna tell me what that dream was about?" he offered uncomfortably. He was nearly relieved when Vincent shook his head. He wouldn't really have known how to handle Vincent baring his soul to him. "Alright."

A small part of Vincent's mind screamed at him to pull away. What was he thinking, allowing Cid to hug him like this? But he wasn't really in any condition at the moment to listen to the sane part of his mind at the moment and pressed closer to Cid instead. He smelled of his work, of oil and grease, but most of all he smelled of cigarettes. Vincent despised that smell with a passion but in this moment it was quite soothing, as it helped push away the memories and the clinic smells that came with them.

Resting against Cid's broad chest he felt his body gradually stop trembling and his breath slowing down as he finally calmed down. He could hear Cid's strong heartbeat, the rhythmic sound calming him further. The dream had left him completely drained and now that he finally felt better his eyes quickly started to droop.

Patiently Cid waited for Vincent to calm down and pull away from him. He had no doubt he would be literally thrown out of the room once Vincent pulled himself together and was already preparing to leap for the door once he started to come after him. He could feel the shaking and the soft sobs that escaped his throat now and then stop, but Vincent did not move as much as a finger. "Vincent?" Vincent didn't answer, but shifted his head to find a comfortable position against Cid's chest. Cid stared down at the dark head, not quite believing what had just happened. Vincent Valentine was asleep in his arms.

"Crap," Cid mumbled quietly. "What now?" Carefully he moved Vincent in his arms to slip away from under him and place him on his bed. He couldn't really stay all night like this. Preparing to rise he put his hand on the sheet and sat back, looking down at the bed thoughtfully. The sheets were still damp and uncomfortable from Vincent's nightmare and he wouldn't have been able to sleep comfortably like this. For a moment he thought about fetching new sheets and putting them on the bed, but he feared Vincent would wake up during the process and he didn't want to do that. Vincent was exhausted and needed some sleep.

After a few minutes of thinking Cid carefully moved Vincent into his arms, rising slowly to make his way to the door. He weighed less than he had thought and it wasn't as difficult as he had thought to open the door and turn the lights off. Cid headed for his own room, quickly crossing the hallway to avoid being seen, even though it was late at night. Entering his cabin he gently placed Vincent down on his own bed, covering him with his blankets.

He wanted to step away from the bed, leaving Vincent to sleep, but one hand unconsciously moved to catch his wrist, pulling his arm close to him. Sighing softly Vincent rested his head against Cid's arm, lost in his sleep. For a short moment Cid just stood next to his bed dumbfounded. He hadn't intended to share his bed with him, but it didn't seem like he had much of a choice when he didn't want to wake Vincent and upset him for bringing him here. Carefully he slid into bed next to the smaller man, resting a hand on his back as Vincent cuddled up to him. Closing his eyes as well, he waited for the morning to come and for Vincent to wake, wondering if he would survive that confrontation.

A monotonous snoring sound slowly crept into Vincent's dreams and lured him out of sleep. A small part of him wondered why the bed under him was moving regularly, up and down, whilst the main part was still deeply asleep. A soft sleepy mewl escaped his lips. He struggled to wake and to sit up, to see why his bed was moving and if it presented any danger, even though his body proved to be highly uncooperative. If his bed was walking away with him he at least wanted to know where they were going. His hand touched something hard, hairy, which felt strangely fleshy. Strange. He couldn't imagine at all what this could be. It seemed like he had no choice but to move and sit up after all. Collecting his strength Vincent managed to sit up and found himself staring directly in Cid Highwind's face.

Cid found himself holding his breath as Vincent looked up. He had woken once he felt the slender man move. When Cid had fallen asleep Vincent had been lying next to him, clutching his arm, cuddled up to him. He wasn't sure how they had ended up in this new position but now Vincent was lying face down on his body, head resting on his chest. At the moment the red eyes were blinking sleepily at him, barely open. An expression of utter confusion crossed Vincent's face at finding himself in bed with Cid. Cid couldn't help but grin broadly at the soft sound Vincent made, sleepy and confused. "Uh?"

"Morning," Cid offered, grinning.

Vincent mumbled something in reply, turning his head slowly, looking at the cabin. For several minutes he said nothing, just looking, trying to get his brain to wake up as well. Cid let him be, giving him the chance to analyse the situation. He wouldn't get a coherent sentence out him anyway. Finally Vincent looked back at Cid, eyes opened a little further. "What am I doing in your bed?"

"Oh, well…" Cid couldn't keep himself from teasing the usually very silent man a little. "That's a looong story. There was this barrel of beer… and this pink dress…"

"Really," Vincent mumbled, slowly sitting up and moving down from Cid to sit on the actual bed. He was pretty sure there had been no pink dress involved and he didn't miss the teasing grin on Cid's face. He did feel strangely exhausted, though, and what confused him most was the fact that he had apparently slept on Cid, in Cid's room. He barely slept deep enough not to notice a fly sitting down on his face. His time with Lucrecia and Hojo had made him a little touchy.

But it seemed like tonight he had slept very deeply, which was usually only the case if nightmares had haunted him. Having arrived at this point the memories of his dream also came back and Vincent shut his eyes tightly to lock them out.

Cid's grin faded as he saw Vincent's expression. He had hoped he would have forgotten about his nightmare, but it was clear that he hadn't. "I heard you scream," he finally said, not knowing what else to do. "I came to check on you and you…"

"I know," Vincent interrupted him. He felt angry with himself for letting Cid see him like this and with Cid for doing what he did. Still, he was sure Cid hadn't meant any harm and there was no need to let him feel his anger.

"Well," Cid continued hesitantly. It had been easy to deal with the previous night, but now that Vincent was returning to his usual self Cid wasn't so sure anymore how to act around him. "You're bed was damp and uncomfortable… so I brought you here when you fell asleep. Couldn't let you sleep in a bed like that."

Vincent nodded slowly in acknowledgement, lifting a hand to rub the lingering sleep out of his eyes. "Thanks."

Cid's gaze involuntarily travelled over Vincent's body and what he saw there made him swallow hard. He only wore a pair of black pants and that gave Cid the unique chance of studying the numerous scars on Vincent's body. He had already noticed them during the night but hadn't dared to study them more closely. The sheer number of them and the fact that many of them had obviously been inflicted on him deliberately made him sick.

One scar especially made his stomach roil. Covering most of his upper body there was a V shaped scar, like the ones coroners use to open corpses. Several other regular scars all over his chest and belly didn't leave much to the imagination what had been done to him. When Vincent finally turned to look at him Cid also suddenly understand why Vincent never showed up without his headband and his coat. Running across his forehead there was an ugly badly healed scar, vanishing under his hair on each side, and his throat sported an equally ugly cross shaped scar, the vertical line starting just under his chin and ending in the pit of his throat.

"Did…" Cid had to swallow hard before continuing. "Did you dream about… that?" He nodded slightly in Vincent's direction, indicating the scars. Vincent stared at him for a moment, silently, then he turned his head, feeling ashamed. He had never wanted for Cid to see his body, he hadn't wanted for anyone to see it. He hated the way people looked at him, pity in their eyes, and what he hated even more were the inevitable questions following those glances, making him relive every moment of this ordeal even though he craved nothing more than to forget it. He ground his teeth in anger, angry with himself for not being more careful, for losing control. But there was no way the damage could be undone now.

"Yes," he finally forced himself to say. He had no idea why he didn't just leave and remained sitting on the bed. Or even spoke with Cid. It was just… somehow it felt nice to know Cid had been concerned for him this night, that it had been important for him to know he slept comfortably.

"No wonder it upset you that much," Cid answered, unable to take his eyes from Vincent. His whole body hurt just looking at them. He could not imagine what it must have been like for Vincent. "That looks as if it hurt like hell," he mused, lost in his thoughts. "I'm surprised you can even speak." The ugly scar was hidden beneath a mane of black hair now, but he could still remember it vividly.

"I couldn't," Vincent admitted softly, not daring to look at Cid and see the pity in his eyes.

"You couldn't speak?" Cid was quite astonished by this confession, but more by the fact that Vincent had really opened up to him and told him this than by what he had said itself.

Vincent just wanted to bang his head against a wall. Why had he said this? Did he really think saying this would make Cid pity him less? And what was he doing, anyway, turned away from him, feeling ashamed, like the poor little person everyone thought him to be? Sitting up straight Vincent turned his head to face Cid. To his utter surprise he did not see what he had expected to see. Cid was studying him, yes, but there was no pity involved. Strangely enough he looked at him with an expression that could nearly be described as admiration. No one had ever looked at him like that and Vincent was utterly confused by this.

"No, I…" He wasn't quite sure how to handle this and whilst his mind was still busy trying to decide what he should think of it he found himself just continuing to talk. "I don't know." A helpless shrug. "I don't know what… he… had in mind when he did this, but… I think it is one of the things that went wrong. It had no effect, but I couldn't speak for months. And when I finally managed to… my voice was as it is now." Vincent felt the tears well up in his eyes once more and he quickly turned his head away again, not wanting Cid to see his emotions.

Cid remained silent, trying to digest this information. Until now he had never realized in how much pain Vincent really was and he felt suddenly guilty for always making good-natured fun of him, along with the others. He had more than enough reason not to be the most sociable person. Reaching for a pack of cigarettes he put one between his lips, lighting it. There was nothing better to help you sort through your thoughts and feelings than a cigarette.

Vincent quickly raised his hand to brush away the few tears that had managed to escape his eyes despite his best effort. Breathing deeply he tried to calm himself and keep his thoughts far away from Hojo and his lab. The atmosphere in the small cabin had become uncomfortable with Cid not knowing how to react to this confession and Vincent doing his best to return to his emotionless self.

Finally he turned his head back to Cid, not being able to endure the strained silence any longer. "Why have you been up at that time anyway?" he asked softly, surprising himself once more. He did not understand at all why he still remained here and even talked to Cid.

Startled Cid looked up, having been lost in thought for a moment. "Tonight, you mean?" Vincent nodded slightly and he shrugged. "I needed a smoke, so I went to have one. I was just returning from the bridge, when... you know..."

"I know," Vincent answered quietly.

Cid took a deep drag from his cigarette and brushed it off in the ashtray on the tiny nightstand.

"I am sorry for causing trouble," Vincent apologised quietly, almost inaudibly, after a moment of hesitation.

Cid shook his head, stubbing the cigarette out in the ashtray. "It is no trouble to help a friend." His eyes flickered towards the clock on the wall and he realized with a start he was far too late. "I am sorry, but it is late." Apologetically Cid looked at Vincent. "The crew will be waiting for me."

Vincent nodded, surprised about the feeling of sadness at the prospect of having to end this. He watched Cid rise from the bed and walk to the door, opening it a crack. "I'll be back soon. Just wait a moment." He vanished through the door, closing it behind him. Vincent remained on the bed, trying to make sense of what was happening at this moment. In a strange way it had felt nice to spend time with Cid, which was confusing enough on his own. He would never have thought he would be able to enjoy someone else's company again. Enjoying it meant feeling safe and feeling safe meant to trust that person. But his trust had been betrayed in a most cruel way and he had come to the conclusion that it was suicide to trust anybody.

Cid returned, motioning to Vincent to rise. "There's nobody out here at the moment. If you leave now nobody will see you. Thought you probably wouldn't like that."

Vincent nodded in surprise, rising from the bed. He had indeed dreaded the thought of being seen leaving Cid's cabin, clad only in a pair of black breeches. Of courses chances were nobody would have even recognized him, without his usual garb. He still felt far more comfortable if nobody caught him in the hallway. "Thank you." Vincent's voice was soft when he stepped past Cid into the empty hallway. "No problem," Cid answered with a smile. Vincent hesitated for a short moment, looking at Cid thoughtfully as he was standing in the doorway, but then he turned away from him and hurried to his own room to hide in it.

Vincent quietly stepped onto the bridge, the door closing softly behind him. He had never felt comfortable in this room or in most of the others and this time it was no different. The bright light that illuminated most of the ship was just far too much like the light in Hojo's lab, bright and sharp, so that he would be able to recognize every sinew and every nerve… Vincent fought the urge to turn around and hide in his dark cabin once more and instead made a step forward. Outside it was deep night and through the big windows he could see the stars twinkling in the clear sky. Standing on the glass floor at the very front Cid was watching them, quietly exhaling the smoke from his cigarette.

Vincent had noticed he liked to watch the sky at this time of the day, smoking, when the ship was peaceful and everybody was asleep, save for those that were needed for manoeuvring the ship. He had hoped to find him here when he had come to the bridge, but now that he had Vincent wasn't so sure anymore why he had come.

Four days had passed since Cid had come upon him after his nightmare. As usual he had spend most of this time in the soothing darkness of his cabin or hiding away in some corner, watching. To his utter surprise Cid hadn't gone back to mostly ignoring him as he had before that night. He didn't approach him and left him alone, but when Vincent opened his door he would find a plate with his dinner outside or a book to read. He didn't need to eat and he was sure Cid knew that, but he appreciated the gesture and took the presents nonetheless.

All those time he had tried to convince himself that he didn't need anyone, that he was far better off alone. But now he wasn't so sure about this anymore. That night with Cid had left him confused and with the need for some company, much to his surprise. He couldn't place the feeling, but he had felt comfortable being with someone and being able to talk without someone looking at him like at a homeless puppy. And Cid had called him friend… A part of him screamed at him not to let him be deceived by words like this. Cid was just trying to lure him closer to him and then he'd turn on him…

Quickly Vincent shoved that voice far into the back of his mind and stepped further onto the bridge. Being with Cid had felt nice and perhaps there was a tiny chance that some people actually cared more for their friends than for their work.

Cid's cigarette nearly fell from his fingers in surprise as he saw Vincent stepping up next to him. The red eyes stared at him from the depth of his cloak and for some moments the two just looked at each other, silently.

"You alright?" Cid asked quietly, studying the still form. He hadn't dared to approach him once Vincent had gone back to his usual quiet and looming self, but he hadn't stopped worrying about him after what he had seen that night. There were apparently many things that troubled him and Cid didn't even want to imagine what he must feel like, not being able to share it with anyone.

Vincent nodded slowly, turning away from him to watch the stars as well. "I am."

Cid finished his cigarette, taking out the pack and lighting a new one. He had wanted to leave after the last one, but now that Vincent had come to him he decided he could use another one. "That's good." Cid wasn't sure what to say or to do. Vincent was extremely difficult to read if he wasn't in tears and he didn't know if he'd leave the second he started a conversation.

Vincent watched Cid smoke his second cigarette out of the corner of his eye. He had feared he'd ask more questions about his scars, but it didn't seem like Cid was going to do anything, save for throwing the occasional glance at him.

"You don't need to bring me food," he finally forced himself to say, wishing to re-establish some of the atmosphere in Cid's cabin. "I don't need it."

"I thought so," Cid answered, smiling slightly. "Couldn't really believe it, though. You really don't need any food?"

Vincent shook his head, staring at a lone cloud drifting by. "I wouldn't have spent thirty years in a coffin if I had," he murmured sourly, not liking to think of this period of his life. "But that doesn't keep me from eating it."

Cid nearly forgot to breathe in surprise as he saw a faint smile from beneath the cloak. Vincent never smiled. "Thought you'd like something to do for a change. Even if it's only eating."

Another tiny smile. "Therefore the book."

"Yeah." Cid scratched at his stubbles, a little embarrassed. "I couldn't find anything else."

"It's perfect," Vincent assured him and Cid thought he even heard a little teasing undertone in his voice. "Now I know everything about airship motors."

Cid had to grin at his own choice. "I'm sorry. There aren't that many good books on an airship. I only could have given you some chilled beer instead of the book." He couldn't imagine Vincent enjoying a mug of good beer, so he had thought the book to be the more sensible choice.

"Beer," Vincent mumbled dreamily. "It's been a long time since I had one." Since he had woken from his sleep in the coffin he hadn't really felt the need to indulge in anything, but in the past he hadn't been one to turn a good drink away.

Cid stared at Vincent in surprise. "You like beer? I wouldn't have thought you to be one to drink beer."

"I'm not," Vincent said softly, looking at Cid with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Now."

Cid fumbled with the burned out butt of his cigarette for a moment, thoughtfully. Even though Vincent was surprisingly social today he doubted he'd want to do anything more than to stand here and talk. But he didn't feel like leaving Vincent already and perhaps, just perhaps… "You know…" he started carefully, thinking about how to best put the question. "I've got some beer in my room. Nice and chilled. Perhaps… we could drink a bottle… or two…"

Vincent's heart made a leap, half in surprise, half in fear. This was not what he had expected when he had come to the bridge and his first reaction was to turn around and flee back into the safety of his cabin. Cid's room was something completely different than the bridge. Nobody could see them there and who knew what Cid might have in mind when he offered "to drink a beer". Vincent had to mentally slap himself to chase the dark thoughts away. Until now Cid had been nothing but kind to him and there was no indication this was going to change. His memories and his past were haunting him in a way that made him completely forget to expect anything but the worst of people.

"Sorry," Cid apologized, seeing the anxious flicker in Vincent's eyes. "It was a stupid idea."

"No," Vincent quickly forced himself to say, afraid Cid might leave. He still didn't know how to feel about Cid's offer, but just now he felt rather comfortable with Cid, which still surprised him very much. He didn't want this to end now. And a bottle of beer wasn't the worst thing he had heard all day. "It's a great idea."

"Really?" Cid hadn't thought there was even the tiniest chance Vincent would seriously want to accompany him, but he was pretty sure he had just heard him agree. Vincent felt suspicion rising inside of him as he saw Cid's completely dumbfounded expression and carefully took a step away from him. It didn't seem like Cid had really intended for them to have a drink together and he couldn't think of any good reason for this. "You don't have any beer in your cabin?" he asked carefully, his voice returning to its usual emotionless flat tone.

"I have!" Cid wasn't sure what to make of Vincent's behaviour. One moment before he had been calm and even joking with him and now he was back to his usual self, emanating coldness and danger. "I just… didn't think you'd agree to this. I didn't want to upset you." Vincent was still staring at him quite suspiciously and Cid carefully took a step towards him, relieved when Vincent didn't shy away from him.

"I'd like very much to drink a beer with you." Vincent admitted after some moments of uncertain silence.

A big smile spread over Cid's face. "That's… great." He hesitated for a moment, not quite sure if Vincent actually meant to follow through. Vincent remained with him for another moment, but when Cid didn't move, looking at him a little doubtfully, he turned away from him and made his way to the bridge's door. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah." Cid quickly followed Vincent, leading him towards his cabin.

Vincent quietly closed the door behind me, relieved that nobody had been in the hallway and had seen them. Cid walked over to a small fridge and, opening it, pulled out two bottles of chilled beer. Handing one to Vincent he seated himself on his bed, leaving it to Vincent if he wanted to take the chair or join him on the bed.

"You have a fridge in your room?" Vincent asked, smiling slightly as he opened his bottle.

"Yeah," Cid admitted grinning, taking a deep gulp from his beer. "Just don't tell the others. They'd want one themselves."

Vincent slowly made his way over to Cid, sitting on the bed next to him. "We'll have to see about that," he gently teased, studying the bottle in his hand before taking a sip.

"Good?" Cid's grin broadened as he saw Vincent close his eyes in pleasure.

"Very good," Vincent admitted. "It's been a long time." He took another sip, looking about the room, carefully examining it. He still felt nervous and uncomfortable in here and would have loved to leave for his own cabin. But after all those years the need for company and closeness was stronger and Vincent quickly fought back the traumatized part of himself. So far Cid had been nothing but kind to him and hadn't given him any reason to stay away from him.

"Guess it has." Cid pulled a face in sympathy. "Can't imagine how you survived that." His eyes grew big as he heard Vincent laugh very softly. "It is possible, you know. At least if you have some bodily modifications." Cid stared at him in surprise. Vincent didn't cease to astonish him this night. Now he was already making jokes about himself. Perhaps he was up to a little more fun than he had thought. "Wanna play a game of cards? Poker perhaps?"

A sad smile appeared on Vincent's face. "That has been long as well. Everything has been so long." He stared at the bottle in his hands broodingly, then resolutely pushed the dark thoughts aside. He had not come here to let himself be troubled by his past. Smiling slightly he raised his head to look at Cid encouragingly. "Where are the cards?"

Cid grinned happily at this. "They're here." Cid rose from the bed to get the cards from a closet whilst Vincent settled more comfortably on the bed, waiting for him to sit back down on the bed and deal the cards.

One hour and three bottles of beer later Vincent put down his cards, looking uncomfortable. "This doesn't work," he mumbled irritated. "It's too warm." Rising from the bed he started to unbuckle his cloak.

Cid nearly choked on his beer as Vincent suddenly started to undress. Not quite believing what he saw he watched Vincent slipping of his heavy cloak, draping it over the chair and revealing his lean frame beneath it. "That's better," he sighed contentedly, moving back onto the bed. Reaching for his bottle he quickly drained the last bit, looking at it disappointedly. "Do you have some more?" he asked Cid hopefully.

"Are you sure you want another one?" Cid asked with a grin, as he watched the obviously quite drunk man pick up his cards once more.

"Yes," Vincent answered at once. "It's good."

Cid briefly left the bed, shaking his head in amusement, to get another bottle of beer for Vincent.

"It's really been a long time, wasn't it?" Cid just couldn't believe that the relaxed and talkative person sprawled on his bed was the same man as the silent and suspicious one that usually hid in dark corners. It was amazing what a few bottles of beer could do if someone had been deprived of any alcohol for 30 years.

"It has," Vincent admitted, smiling himself. He realized only too well that he was drunk, but he didn't care that much at the moment. He felt better just now than at any point during all those long years since that hideous incident in Hojo's lab, and just now it didn't really matter why. All his fears and concerns had miraculously vanished and he was enjoying himself immensely.

He sighed deeply, only now realizing what exactly he had denied himself all those years. "It's all been so very long. Cards, beer, getting drunk and then…" He froze, his hand stopping inches over the card he was just about to pull out of his hand. His eyes travelled to Cid, staring at him, the thought slowly manifesting once it had entered his mind.

Cid stared back at Vincent, a slight feeling of uneasiness creeping up on him. Vincent looked at him with a look of surprise and something else he couldn't quite place. And he wasn't sure he would like this something. He wouldn't, he decided when a small grin appeared on Vincent's face, growing broader. "Sex."

Vincent's grin widened even more as he watched Cid stare at him open mouthed, desperately trying to decide if Vincent had really said that or if he himself was just hopelessly drunk and having hallucinations. "Sex?" he finally croaked, still utterly astonished.

"Yes," Vincent confirmed softly, letting his eyes roam over Cid's body now that the thought had entered his mind. His clothes had seen better days and even sported several oil stains, but he was pretty sure there was far more hiding beneath them than it looked from the outside.

"With me?" Cid could nearly feel his eyes bulge from their sockets. Of all the situations one could find himself in with Vincent he would never have expected to find himself sitting on his bed with a drunken Vincent Valentine asking for sex.

"Yes," Vincent said again, pushing the cards in front of them aside before slowly crawling to Cid.

Cid had to swallow hard as he saw the predatory expression on Vincent's face as he leaned over him, his lips nearly brushing his own. "With you." Cid's breath caught as he suddenly felt Vincent's lips touch his own, kissing him slowly. To his surprise Cid felt himself relaxing slightly under the kiss. When his mind had finally recovered from the shock Vincent was just pulling back slightly, sighing deeply with pleasure. "It's really been a long time." Vincent looked down at Cid for a moment, thoughtfully. Cid didn't react like one who was thrilled at getting the unique chance of spending a night with a beautiful man. On the other hand he didn't seem too appalled either, considering the way he had returned his kiss. After a moment of thought Vincent gracefully moved off of Cid, slipping from the bed.

Cid could do nothing but stare as Vincent started to slowly unbutton his shirt, even as his mind screamed at him to run away screaming. What was he doing just sitting there and watching Vincent undress? He was a man and he wanted to have sex with him! He just wasn't having sex with men! He had never done it and he never would. Well…perhaps he had… that one time… when he was so drunk he couldn't even tell his feet from his ears… but still… Vincent was a man and there was no way he would…

Any further thoughts vanished into nothing as Vincent turned around to drape his shirt over the chair with his cloak, before he started to pull down his breeches and Cid found himself staring at one of the firmest butts he had ever seen. 'He's a man!' his mind told him, telling him to flee the room this very moment. But damn, was that a butt! The hideous scars gleamed silver in the light when Vincent turned around to return to Cid, but the sensual way he moved made it easy to forget there was anything mutilating this lean, muscular body. "Anything wrong?" he asked with a smile as Cid just stared at him, his inner battle openly showing on his face.

"Vincent," Cid weakly protested as Vincent stopped in front of the bed. "I'm straight…"

"And I'm drunk." Vincent slipped onto the bed, throwing the cards to the floor to make room. "And you had your share of beer as well. We're both drunk. Normal rules don't apply when drunk. Besides, I'd never tell anyone of this night, just as you will never tell anyone you saw me like this."

Cid could neither take his eyes of Vincent nor move as he crawled once more on top of him, leaning forward to nibble on his ear, even though Cid's mind was having a hysterical fit, screaming at him to just get his ass out of here, now. Vincent's movements were smooth and sensually, despite his state of drunkenness. Cid's hand involuntarily reached up to stroke the soft skin of Vincent's back.

"Cid." His warm breath brushed over Cid's ear as Vincent spoke, pleadingly, a hint of annoyance in his voice at how long Cid needed to take a decision. "Just fuck me."

Cid's mind fainted. This was just too much for a straight man. "What?" Cid croaked, unable to believe these words had really come from Vincent Valentine.

Vincent sat back slightly, looking at Cid with longing in his eyes. "Please Cid. It's been so long. I just want to… want…" He wasn't even sure what exactly he wanted, Cid, sex or to be held and to be close to someone… But whatever it was, he knew that Cid would be able to satisfy this longing.

Cid stared at Vincent, studying the lines of the fine features. He noticed that Vincent still wore his headscarf and reached up to remove it, dropping it to the floor. Coming loose the black hair fell in a gentle wave around Vincent's face and Cid thanked the heavens that his mind was in no state to protest anymore. "You're beautiful," he mused, caressing Vincent's side.

Smiling happily Vincent once more leaned forward for a kiss. Cid stopped him, putting a hand to his chest. "Just to make this clear," he said firmly, forcing Vincent to look at him. "I'm straight." He didn't miss the amusement in the red eyes as Vincent stroked his fingers over his arm reassuringly. "Of course you are." When he kissed him this time Cid did not resist and returned the kiss eagerly, pulling Vincent close to him.

"You know," Vincent chuckled, pulling Cid's shirt up to slip his hand under it. "This would work far better if you removed these."

"Can't," Cid answered with a grin. "There's something on top of me."

"Oh really." Quickly Vincent sat back to give Cid enough room to undress. Raising his eyebrows expectantly he waited for Cid to strip. "There. Now you can."

After a short moment of hesitation Cid pulled off his shirt, still feeling slightly uncomfortable under Vincent's scrutinizing gaze, watching his every move. Usually it was him staring at his partner's naked body hungrily, not the other way round.

As soon as the last garment was on the floor Vincent was back on top of Cid, straddling him, teeth nibbling at his throat, hands stroking over his chest.

Cid could feel himself rub against Vincent and at least his body was now completely convinced that this was the best idea of the whole year.

Vincent knew he should probably slow down and give Cid time to adjust but after all this years of solitude it just felt too good to feel the warm skin of another person. The light headedness and Cid's breathing, living body was driving him crazy and he reached down to stroke Cid's penis. "Let's just save the foreplay for the second time, shall we?"

This was suddenly going far faster than he had expected and Cid reached out to Vincent just in time as he rose to his knees and prepared to sit down on Cid. "Wait! Don't we need some… err… oil or lube or something like that?" His experiences with anal sex were limited, but he was pretty sure it wasn't a good idea to just stick your dick up someone else's butt without any kind of preparation.

"Fuck." Vincent let go of Cid and slipped down from him, looking around the room with an annoyed gleam to his eyes. Cid's eyes widened once again this night when he heard Vincent speak this word. Vincent was the last person on this planet he had ever expected to curse. Vincent moved from the bed, walking through the room. "Do you have some lube here? Oil?" Having reached the small fridge he pulled the door open, looking inside.

"No," Cid answered after a moment of thinking. "There's nothing here. I'll better go and fetch some oil…" He didn't finish his sentence because in the meantime Vincent had found the butter for his late night sandwiches, looking at it critically. "This will do." Using his fingers to cut off a large piece of butter he returned to Cid, once again stroking him and spreading the butter over his penis.

"Vincent, that's butter! Are you sure you can use this?" Cid asked sceptically, eying himself, now glistening with the butter.

"You'd be surprised how many things we could use," Vincent gasped as he lay on his side to prepare himself for Cid. "Want to help me with this?" he asked Cid, free hand still massaging his cock, looking up at him invitingly.

Cid moaned deeply at the touch, breathing heavily. Vincent's fingers felt just too good and by now just the thought of burying himself in that slender willing body made him nearly come. Turning over he followed the slippery path Vincent's buttered hand had left on his body, caressing his buttocks before joining Vincent's fingers in their task of spreading the butter inside of him.

Vincent soon pulled his hand away, leaving it to Cid to prepare him thoroughly. Closing his eyes he moaned softly, enjoying Cid's touch inside of him. Cid's other hand was moving over his body, his movements eased by the butter, stroking Vincent's own penis, even though a little shyly.

"What do you think?" Cid asked hoarsely after a while, eyes fixed on Vincent's face. "Shall we try again?"

"Please do!" Vincent urged him, the red eyes opening hungrily to watch Cid moving on top of him. With the butter it worked better now and when Cid pushed against the greasy entrance he slipped in easily, groaning with pleasure.

Vincent sucked in his breath, throwing his head back and closing his eyes blissfully as Cid finally filled him. He could imagine absolutely nothing that could feel as good as feeling Cid inside of him after decades of abstinence. Raising one leg he hooked his foot behind Cid's butt to pull him in even deeper.

Cid was unable to take his eyes from the sensual creature beneath him. Vincent was moaning under his touch, clinging to him, sweat mingling with the buttery film Cid's hands had left on his body, cheeks flushed with pleasure and alcohol. "You're really beautiful when you're drunk," Cid groaned between his thrusts, half teasingly, half admiringly. He'd never have thought he'd say this about Vincent Valentine, but seeing him like this now Cid had to admit he was the most beautiful man he had ever met.

Vincent chuckled quietly between his gasps, pushing himself up to be closer to Cid, clinging to him. "You're beautiful as well when I'm drunk."

Perplexed Cid stilled, staring down at Vincent. His eyes narrowed when his mind fully registered what Vincent had been saying there. "You," he growled teasingly, one arm involuntarily coming up behind Vincent as he pressed close to him. "I'll get you for that."

Before he could say another word he suddenly found himself on his back once more, Vincent sitting on him. "You could also get me now if you'd just move!" Raising himself Vincent sank back down onto Cid, impaling himself once more. Cid groaned deeply, hands gripping the slender hips tightly.

"This is so good," Vincent sighed, bending down to kiss Cid deeply. Lost in the kiss and in the warm body enclosing him Cid felt himself nearing completion, moaning into their kiss. One of Vincent's hands touched his own, pushing it towards where their bodies joined. "Cid, please." Vincent closed Cid's hand over his penis, urging it to caress him. Feeling the combined pleasure of Cid inside of him and his hand stroking him it didn't take Vincent long now to spill himself over their fingers, pressing his head against Cid's neck with a loud groan. Cid didn't hold back now, coming deep inside of Vincent's warm body.

For a moment both stayed like this, motionless, then Vincent moved off of Cid, flopping down onto the bed next to him, breathing heavily. "Wow." Staring up at Cid Vincent smiled at him happily. "That's the best sex I had the last 30 years."

"That's the only sex you had the last 30 years, you dork," Cid laughed, turning around to rest his hand on Vincent's side.

"It's still the best since then." Smiling brightly Vincent cuddled up to Cid, staring him in the eyes, one hand sneaking down between Cid's legs. "And I really hope it's not going to be the last one."

* * *


End file.
